Tag
by Imadra Blue
Summary: A three-year-old Obi-Wan follows Master Yoda around the Temple. Gen.


**Disclaimer:** Star Wars and all its characters are property of Lucasfilm Ltd. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Master Yoda was often put in charge of training the younglings in basic Jedi skills. It was a difficult job, though not nearly as difficult as the Creche Masters' jobs. He rarely taught any younglings below the age of four, but he seemed to have taken a liking to the young Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Or, more correctly, Obi-Wan had taken a liking to Yoda.

Yoda sighed as he realized the boy was creeping along behind him in the hallways late one evening. Yoda had foregone his hover chair as he was feeling rather spry that day, so rapped his gimer stick on the polished Temple floor when he stopped. When Yoda turned to look at Obi-Wan, he hid behind one of the pillars. Obi-Wan was surprisingly stealthy for a three-year-old, but his giggling kept giving him away. After a moment, he peeked out at Yoda, his blue eyes shining. He giggled and disappeared behind the pillar again.

Still wondering how Obi-Wan managed to escape his creche _again_, Yoda rapped his gimer stick on the floor a second time. "Out you come, Obi-Wan. Time for hide-and-seek, I do not have."

Obi-Wan toddled out, smiling widely. Yoda suspected he was quite cute for a human child, not that it mattered. Obi-Wan giggled again as he stopped in front of Yoda. They were the same height; it was one of the things Yoda liked best about younglings. Yoda frowned, realizing Obi-Wan no doubt thought he was as funny as most of the younglings did.

"Leave your creche without a Master, you should not, Obi-Wan. Learn to behave, you must."

Obi-Wan did not answer, but bit his lip at Yoda's frown. He dipped his chin down, still staring up at Yoda with wide eyes. Yoda stared back. The boy had potential, more potential than Yoda had seen in centuries. They spent a long moment gazing into each other's eyes.

Yoda decided this was all too much seriousness. Obi-Wan would learn the importance of focus soon enough, but for now a little fun couldn't hurt. He poked Obi-Wan's belly with his gimer stick sharply, waggling his ears for the boy's amusement. "Catch me, you cannot," he taunted, and then turned tail and ran as fast he could, using the Force to keep him steady.

Peals of laughter issued from Obi-Wan as he chased after Yoda. The boy was keeping up to Yoda's amazement, undeterred as Yoda dodged through the immense halls of the Jedi Temple. He would be both strong and fast one day, and Yoda determined to personally overlook the child's progress. But these were fleeting concerns as he realized Obi-Wan was gaining on him, his sticky hands reaching out. Yoda twittered and dodged Obi-Wan's grasp, running down one of the side hallways -- and right into the stone solid legs of Qui-Gon Jinn.

Yoda fell back in surprise, shaking his head as he tried to get his bearings. He glanced up at Qui-Gon, who was blinking down at him with unmistakable bewilderment. Yoda didn't blame him; it wasn't every day Yoda ran down the halls with a shrieking child behind him.

Yoda glanced behind him and saw Obi-Wan was there. The boy popped his fingers in his mouth and stared up at Qui-Gon with something between adoration and trepidation.

"Master Yoda? Are you feeling all right?" asked Qui-Gon, a smile appearing on his leonine face.

Yoda came to his feet, straightening his robes. He leaned on his gimer stick, trying to regain some form of dignity. "Fine, I am," he said and looked at Obi-Wan again. "Learn to run fast, the boy must. Teaching him, I was."

"Right," said Qui-Gon, still smiling knowingly. Cheeky brat. Yoda remembered when they had been the same height; now, Qui-Gon was roughly the size of the Jedi Temple, give or take a few meters.

"We was playin' tag, Mastuh," Obi-Wan told Qui-Gon in his piping bird's voice. He reached out and poked Yoda in the shoulder, giggling. "Tag." Then he turned and ran down the hall, laughing again.

Yoda knew that his dignity was officially lost. Ah, well. He didn't really need it for anything. He glanced up at Qui-Gon again, who was shaking in silent laughter.

"You'd better hurry, Master," said Qui-Gon, bowing slightly. "He moves quickly for such a little thing."

In for a cred, in for a cred stick. Yoda poked Qui-Gon in the kneecap with his gimer stick and grinned up at him. "Tag," he said and chased after Obi-Wan.

To his everlasting surprise, Qui-Gon followed.

_End._


End file.
